


Lessons in Light and Darkness

by Brennah_K



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark or darkish, Dumbledore Bashing, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mentors, Past Child Abuse, Severus Snape Has a Heart, eventual slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2018-06-03 20:38:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6625345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brennah_K/pseuds/Brennah_K
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I don't know where this came from (outside of a morose and melancholy afternoon spent thinking about life lessons I'd rather have not learned). These are some of the lessons, Harry's learned...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are the lessons that Harry has learned:

From his father:  
The sound of yelling then sudden silence means that something terrible is coming.

From his mother:  
Love, warmth, and safety can disappear between one breath and the next. 

From the dark lord:  
Chill laughter, pain, and November cold can are omens for life being turned on its head.

From the big, tall, bearded man who picked him up and wrapped him in warm cloth (Hagrid he would later learn):  
Big, scary looking people can be nice.

From the old, grey-bearded man who smiled at him but left him out in the November cold (Dumbledore):  
A smiling person can still be uncaring.

From his aunt Petunia:  
Being family doesn't mean being loved.

From his uncle Vernon:  
He wasn't family, he was a burden, and burdens should be seen and not heard, or better yet, neither seen nor heard.

From his cousin:  
Kids can be cruel, too.

From his aunt Marge:  
Mongrel runts should be put down at birth: "It's all to do with blood. Bad blood will out."

From his preschool teacher:  
Seemingly nice people will turn a blind eye if it's in their best interest.

From the neighbor at #12 Privet drive:  
People offering a ride home from the store in dicey weather may want something in return, and things asked for in return can be unpleasant.

From the neighbor at #12 Privet drive:   
Trying to avoid someone can be hard if that person has watched you long enough to know your hiding places.

From his aunt Petunia:  
Trying to get help from someone, who both doesn't like you and would prefer to brush scandals, under the rug is likely to be unsuccessful.

From his uncle Vernon:  
Uncaring people sometimes elect to profit from others' misfortune- even when they were supposed to be family.

From the neighbor at #12 Privet drive:  
When someone gets away with doing something bad, it can make him think it's okay to do something worse.

From his aunt Petunia and his classmates:  
It's safer not to show your true intelligence or skills if you're not well liked

From an accident in third-year science:  
Physical pain can temporarily distract from other pain.

From his fourth-grade teacher:  
People who know what to look for can guess at your secrets if they aren't hidden well enough, and it's not safe to let others know your secrets. 

From Piers Polkiss:   
You should be more afraid of the sneaky kid instigating a bully than of the bully himself.

From his uncle Vernon:  
Sneaking food from the garbage bin should only be done when his uncle was out.

From Dudley's band of friends:  
'Harry hunting' could turn particularly nasty when they were bored -or drinking.

From his uncle Vernon:  
His uncle was worse after drinking.

From the neighbor at #12 Privet drive:  
It was possible to grow out of someone's interest- even unwanted interest.

From his fourth-grade teacher:  
Growing out of one person's unwanted interest did not necessarily mean growing out of another's unwanted attentions, and pleasure- if inflicted against one's will or desire could be as demeaning as the all too common infliction of pain.

From random men on canal street:  
Sometimes strangers, who only had one use for him, could still be kinder than his uncle Vernon.

From the letter addressed to him that his uncle wouldn't let him read:  
Someone knew where he lived, right down to the cupboard under the stairs (and apparently had no qualms with the arrangement).

From the letters trying to force their way into the house through every slot thin enough to get through in their attempt to reach him :   
Someone was very insistent on the message reaching him, regardless of his uncle's wishes, and his uncle truly did not want the letters to reach him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are some of the lessons that Harry learned after being 'picked up' off the island to do his 'school' shopping:

From Hagrid:   
Smushed birthday cake still tastes fine, ice cream tastes quite good too, his aunt and uncle had been lying to him for years about how his parent's died, and that he had magic.

From customers at the Leaky Cauldron:   
Being stared at by strangers, in a completely new (and strange) environment, who seemed to know more than he did about himself was worse than being stared at by neighbors and teachers who'd known him for years but preferred to believe his aunt's stories.

From his Gringotts vault:   
His parents set aside money for him - enough that he could probably run away from #4 Privet and never have to worry about being ... well anything ever again.

From Hagrid:  
Diagon Alley is brilliant, not to go down Knock turn Alley ever, the 'eadmaster had sent him on a very important errand, and Hagrid quite liked his pints.

From Madam Malkin:   
some people in the magical community were gossips just as much as his aunt Petunia and her friends, he was likely to be one of the next topics he gossiped about, and she thought he was a bit small and leaky for his age.

From the posh blonde boy being fitted for robes beside him (Draco Malfoy he would later learn):   
Muggles were people without magic, and Muggles just didn't mix well with magical folk, which Harry's own experience seemed to confirm.

From Hagrid:  
Hagrid had strong feelings about people from Slytherin (a house at Hogwarts he would later learn), he was pretty vocal about those feelings when he was in his cups, and the reason that Harry was being stared at - if Hagrid's lager-soaked opinions could be trusted (uncle Vernon's generally couldn't) - was that as a baby he had supposedly done something or been something that a dark lord 'You know who' wanted to kill, but couldn't.

From the wandmaker Ollivander (or something like that):  
Wands could have brothers (and sisters?) apparently based on the materials in their core, his had a phoenix core, Voldemort had done great things ("terrible but great" which Harry didn't completely understand how something could be terrible and great at the same time, unless it was based on how people looked at it: some people thought it was great, some terrible, in which case a lot of things were like that). Ollivander also told him that Voldemort's wand had given him his scar, but Hagrid had already told him that.

From the 'Muggle' clerk at Kings cross station, when Hagrid left Harry there to get back to the Dursleys on his own - so Hagrid could take whatever he'd picked up at Gringotts back to Dumbledore:   
The booths at Kings Cross didn't take knuts, sickles, or galleons; they didn't run a charity travel service; they didn't know of any platform 9 and 3/4's; and they thought he was more than a bit odd for asking.

From Tom at the Leaky Cauldron, when Harry went back to find Hagrid or see what other arrangements could be made to get home (that wouldn't make his aunt and uncle madder than they probably already were):  
It didn't happen often, but Tom sometimes took muggleborns in when their families couldn't make the proper arrangements to get them to and from Kings Cross and Diagon Alley; Harry's things could be shrunk for convenience; and Tom would show him how to take the floo directly from the Leaky Cauldron to platform 9 3/4's (there really was one, but it was magically hidden from most muggles at the station).

From Madam Malkin's:   
while wizards wore socks, shirts, slacks, and robes of odd and funny materials ("proper wizard attire"), they generally didn't wear undergarments (pants) or tee's - instead using charms to make the clothing fit properly and warmed or cooled as needed.

From Gringott's:   
the goblins treated him slightly more courteously when he was dressed in 'proper wizard' fashion and were disgruntled that he did not know anything about his or his family's accounts, his key was to be reset, and he could return at the end of the week for 'a thorough accounting'.

From Tom at the Leaky Cauldron:   
He didn't intend to 'charge' Harry at all for staying, but he did insist that the 'lad' come down for dinner with he, his wife, and Tolliver (someone who worked the rooms but whom Harry hadn't seen yet); the sparse little room he'd let to Harry was ten times nicer than his cupboard under the stairs; and Tom thought he was a bit odd for helping clear their dinner dishes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are some of the lessons that Harry learned after being invited to stay at the Leaky Cauldron.

From Tom at the Leaky Cauldron:   
Witches and wizards used owls to carry messages instead of mailmen; there were ways, however, that an 'owl' could pass a message into the postal system with the assistance of a willing muggleborn, which Tom was doing because uncle Vernon was refusing all owl post.

From Tolliver who manned the Leaky Cauldron after Tom and his wife slept:  
Tom really was the kind and fair man he seemed, Tom could be trusted, and Tolliver seemed to believe what he was saying when he said that if Harry told Tom about... (A guest interrupted Tolliver, and Harry used it as an opening to excuse himself). _He'd learned early on what Tolliver was about to say, having heard it many times before, and that it wasn't true; Tolliver seemed quite nice, though, and Harry didn't wish to upset the older boy._

From Gringotts:  
A 'thorough accounting of his and his family's accounts' had been done, his account manager had been reassigned to 'a position compatible to his incompetence', misappropriated funds were in the process of being returned to his account, and that Harry should choose a new account manager from the five portfolios given him. Once the choice was made, the new account manager would contact Harry to review his and his family's accounts, which were being reassigned under his name.

From Tolliver:   
Writing with a quill was different than writing with a ballpoint: loopier, drippier, and messier - especially if you didn't hold the quill right.

From Tom:   
His uncle Vernon had finally responded, sending a 'curt' letter back to Tom that if Harry wanted to stay at the Leaky Cauldron, his uncle didn't object, but he wouldn't foot the bill. (He later overheard Tom cursing his uncle Vernon, to his wife, for actually saying that Harry could stay in a dung heap for all he cared but if Tom sold his 'services' to guests, Vernon wanted his 'fair' share.)

From Griphook, whom Harry had finally chosen as his new account manager:  
With Harry's permission, Griphook could take a conservator's role over Harry's accounts until Harry learned to manage them himself. (Harry quickly agreed, having no notion of what dealing with accounts actually meant.) Further, when Harry expressed his concern that he felt like he was being a burden to Tom, Griphook went to arrange payment for his stay and left shortly after speaking with the man, commenting only that he would be back later in the week to make additional arrangements.

From Tolliver:   
Two and a half weeks of practice with the quill - when he wasn't studying, trying to understand the documents that Griphook had given him, or trying to help Tom- had given him a fairly passable handwriting, but it would be even better if he practiced the swirly 'caliriphe' letters that wizarding children were taught in primary school.

From Griphook:  
He was scheduled for appointments with St. Mungos, an eye healer to determine if his vision could be improved, a memory documentation specialist, and a wizarding barrister to 'finalize the details and responsibilities' of Griphook's role as a conservator. All of the appointments could be easily covered from his accounts, as needed, without causing an undue draw on his ability to cover any future financial necessities.

From a blue-robed man at St. Mungo:  
Harry was to take a regimen of seven potions daily - as instructed; the scroll he gave Griphook contained the 'scans' that both Griphook and the barrister needed to move forward; he was 'very pleased to meet' Harry, would see him again in a week to check the potions' progress; and that children in the wizarding world were given 'ice mice' candies when they visited St. Mungos.

From the Eye Healer, who oddly wore glasses that changed colors randomly when she was looking in Harry's eyes:  
Harry's sight could be improved easily to the point of not needing glasses, but if he wanted they could, for a small fee, correct his sight to perfect vision. When he reached 'majority', additional features could be added like 'ward-sight', 'night-sight' and others. (Griphook cut her off at this point stating that those features could be considered at a later date, which Harry was quite thankful for, not really wanting to listen to an entire sales speech for things he wouldn't be able to get for years.)

From the 'Memory-Documentation Specialists':  
By looking Harry in the eye, the man could find the memories that the barrister would need, and copy them. After looking at the scroll from the blue-robed man, the specialist asked Harry if he would drink a calming and memory 'lessening' potion called the "Draught of Lethe". (After Griphook discussed the matter with the specialist in tones too quiet for Harry to hear, he nodded to Harry that he should, and Harry didn't remember much of the appointment after that, but it was growing dark when they left the specialist's office afterward.)

From Griphook:   
The appointment with the Barrister had been rescheduled to the next afternoon. The appointment with the Eye Healer to correct his eyesight was scheduled for the next morning, Griphook had presumed that he would prefer to pay the trivial fee for perfect vision, and 'trivial' meant that whatever the word was being used to describe was too small to be concerned with.

From the wizarding barrister, a Master Whitelocke Cresswell:  
The records provided by Griphook, St. Mungo's scrolls, and the memory flasks he'd received had provided sufficient materials to 'interrupt' all custody and mentor-ship arrangements without the need to call a sitting of the 'Wizengamot', which seemed to be the wizarding world's version of a court; Harry would not be returning to the Dursley's, who had readily signed over his custody when the Barrister 'explained certain consequences that could occur if such a hearing were called'; and the 'magical mentor,' whom Harry had not even known he had, had reluctantly agreed to release Harry from the 'arrangement'. Griphook would indeed act as a conservator until a 'suitable' guardian was discovered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are some of the lessons that Harry learned in the course of the additional arrangements being made by Master Whitelock Cresswell and Master Griphook .

From the wizarding barrister, a Master Whitelocke Cresswell:  
Many 'suitable' candidates had been considered and discarded for varying reasons; but, three potential candidates were under consideration and would meet with him and Griphook. Of the three, one was a representative of the magical academy he was to attend, another was employed by the Ministry of Magic, and the third ran an antique store in a village near the school.

From the short, balding man who worked at the ministry, Mr. Diggory:  
He had a son in at Hogwarts, in the 'Hufflepuff' house at Hogwarts, (one of the names of student dorms he would later learn) who could keep an eye out for Harry - a fact which Harry was not entirely comfortable with given his previous experiences with his cousin. That the man was surprised and unhappy to see the tall, dark-haired school representative present and seemed to think poorly of the representative and goblins both barely acknowledging them and frequently over-talking him. His overly-emotional response when permitted to read the report from the blue-robed man was uncomfortable to the extent that Harry preferred the almost emotionless responses of the Antique Dealer and the Hogwart's representative.

From the Antique Dealer:  
Not everyone in the wizarding world went to magical schools. Many made a sufficient living without doing so, and (though he had not discussed it with either Master Whitelock Cresswell or Master Griphook) he favored Harry not wasting money on frivolous classes that could be better spent elsewhere. While he said he wouldn't hold his 'sordid background' against Harry, Harry should not discuss it (at all - but particularly in public) as it would make customers uncomfortable.

From the stern appearing school representative, Professor Snape:  
The grim, stern man had gone to school with Harry's mum and regardless of whom Harry chose as his guardian, the man stated that intended to look out for Harry's welfare in whatever capacity he could. While this was quite similar to what Harry believed that Tolliver had tried to promise about Tom's possible assistance should Harry decide to tell Tom about his previous home life; somehow, Harry believed, it coming from the staunch professor, who also noted that as the Head of House for Slytherin, he had dealt with many students from difficult backgrounds, ensuring that they were well settled in both their home and academic lives.

From Master Griphook (after the antique dealer had been escorted out on Master Whitelocke Cresswell's insistence):  
Harry would be given the choice of who would be his guardian, but that the decision need not be made immediately as Harry was scheduled to attend Hogwarts almost immediately. To that end, if Harry preferred, an additional supervised meeting could be held with both candidate's until Harry felt comfortable in making his choice. Griphook would remain the conservator until such a decision was made.

From Mr. Diggory:  
While the sorting hat normally placed children into their intended houses on without input, Harry could request the house he would prefer, and in Mr. Diggory's opinion, his son would love to have Harry in the same house as him, but Gryffindor or Ravenclaw would certainly welcome him as well.

From Professor Snape:  
Harry's choice of house would not interfere with any assistance that Harry might request of him, so the choice of house was up to Harry, himself; although, he should be aware of the fact that the Slytherin House was not well thought of - outside of the house and might interfere with him forming friendships outside of the house. (Having no expectations of making friends, based on his previous experiences, Harry wasn't certain that this particularly applied to him, but nodded his acknowledgment to the Professor.)

From both Mr. Diggory and Professor Snape:  
The parting bow that Professor Snape gave at the end of the meeting made Harry feel far less uncomfortable than the boisterous and overly tactile 'hug' that Mr. Diggory gave him, while asking him to promise that he would write to the man once he arrived at Hogwarts.

From Griphook:  
While Harry's comportment during the meeting had been satisfactory, it would be advisable to pick up instructional materials on Wizarding Etiquette, Wizarding Heritage and Hierarchies, as well as Caligraphy (which Griphook explained was the common writing style preferred in the Wizarding world), early childhood tutorials for magical skills, and the History of Hogwarts and it's forms.

From Tolliver, who offered to take Harry to the bookstore while Tom and Griphook talked:  
Books were all good and well, but how people acted, how books said they were to act, and how other people thought they should act were all different things depending on who you were in other people's eyes. "Trust me, Harr', if'n I started struttin around with posh n' fancy manners - no matter what some book said - people 'll be thinkin' I'm actin above my lot and take offense, but you... with your mum n' dad being who they were, n' you bein' the last o' the Potter's - if'n you don't act as them books say, people 'll think yer disrespectin' them. It's just our lot, but long as you ken the difference, you'll be alright. Just don't be big-headed about it. Awright?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are some of the lessons that Harry learned after leaving the Leaky Cauldron for Hogwarts:

From Draco Malfoy, the posh blonde boy that he'd met at Madam Malkin's:  
His father, Lord Malfoy, who was at the time "intercepting" a strange, blond woman with oddly shaped glasses, a long-feathered fluffy green quill, had spoken quite a bit about the stir at the 'Ministry' caused by 'recent discoveries' about Harry's placement, and had asked Draco to let Harry know he could write to the man if he had any questions or concerns about the 'Wizarding World' that Draco couldn't answer. (A statement that made Draco puff his chest up quite proudly at the 'trust' his father was placing in him to guide Harry's introduction to 'their world'.

From Draco's Mother:  
While it was 'a pleasure to meet' Harry, and she would look forward to the opportunity to speak with him in the future, it would be advisable for the boys to board the train before other's of "Ms. Skeeter's ilk" made it past her husband to 'exploit' Harry's current lack of a guardian. She had purchased a small welcoming gift for Harry: a self-inking quill set imbued with 'caligraphy-tutorial charms' that Harry could activate by tapping his wand to the tip and saying 'et eleganter scribere'.

From Blaise Zabini who helped Harry and Draco lift their trunk to the rack above their seats:  
He and Draco were friends, but Harry would not be intruding if he sat with them. A trolley would be coming through halfway into the train trip with snacks and candy everyone could buy, so it was okay for Harry to eat the sandwich Tom's wife had packed for him when he'd been too nervous to eat.

From Gregory Goyle, a friend of Draco's but not particularly Blaise's, which didn't seem to bother either boy:  
He liked to play dim because people said a lot more around him than they realized because no one expected him to understand. Their friend, Vincent, though, who was still saying bye to his mum, was just a bit dim and didn't like to talk much because of it but was a nice guy anyway, and 'Greg' hoped Harry would take that into account and not treat Vincent otherwise. (Harry - well remembering how it felt to be treated like he wasn't worth anything- had no intention of being anything but friendly to their friend.)

From Draco, who'd interrupted Harry before he could answer the fairly rude redhead pushed into their car asking if anyone had seen 'Potter':  
(After Draco ejected the redhead...) Harry was not required to 'debase and subject himself' to associating with anyone who was only looking to sit with him because he was famous, which had to be the case as Harry hadn't met him yet; there were some families in the wizarding worlds who had no respect for themselves, their standing, or traditions; and the redhead was from one of those families.

From Professor Snape who came to meet him at the Hogsmeade station:  
He had received Griphook's notification of Harry's choice and would be meeting with the Goblin the following weekend to sign the needed documents (if Harry was still sure about his choice), and that he wished to meet with Harry after the great feast to discuss the decision before the professor contacted Griphook to make arrangements.

From the Sorting Hat: Harry's shrewd decision to hide his intelligence and skills made him a poor fit for the Ravenclaw house; his propensity for loyalty while still there had -previously- been given little chance to develop - ruling out Hufflepuff; despite his being a survivor and very capable of bravely enduring what he must, the Gryffindor house would not be nearly as good a fit as Slytherin, which the hat yelled out within seconds of being placed on his head.

From the silence and unpleasant glares that watched him from around the room as he sat at the Slytherin table:  
Children in the wizarding world, it appeared, could be just as judgmental and biased against him as the children he'd known in the muggle world: Dudley's friends; Harry probably shouldn't expect to make many friends this year and should probably try not to be caught alone.

From the Slytherin Prefect Flint:  
The password to the Slytherin Dorms was monkshood, and the prefect would be up to escort Harry to Professor Snape's office after he had a chance to get unpacked.

From the Head boy's Welcoming Speech:  
Regardless of how Slytherins felt about each other, they presented a united front to the school as a whole. That weekend, there would be a 'Slytherin house Mixer' after which each of the first years would be paired up with a mentor from fourth-year or above. These mentors would be a contact person/tutor/confidant until they either graduated or in the event that the younger student requested a change of mentor. The mentors would be responsible for ensuring that their mentees were current or ahead on homework, assigned tutors as needed, and caught up on any work missed due to illness or injury. The mentees would also help their mentees negotiate a solution to any difficulties between another first through third-year. (Fourth year and above were not permitted to _'find issue'_ with a first or second-year and would take any issues with a third-year or above to a prefect, the head boy (if Slytherin), or their Head of House.

From Professor Snape, his soon-to-be guardian:  
Professor Snape did not believe he was an easy man to get along with or adjust to, but he stated he would do his best to ensure Harry's well-being. Professor Snape valued and would expect to see 'respectable grades' from Harry both as a member of his house and his ward. The Professor would be personally monitoring Harry's prescribed potions, and Harry would join four other students who were taking prescribed potions in the infirmary every morning before breakfast, after lunch, and after dinner. Two of those were in the Slytherin house and would escort Harry from the dorm, his last class before lunch, and after dinner. Harry was not to deviate going to or from any of these points. Aside from that, they would meet in the Slytherin common room every Saturday morning from 9:30-10:30 to get to know each other, discuss their future living arrangements, and deal with any issues that arise through the year.

From the Head Boy:  
Harry would probably have a lot of people watching him, but he'd have his house watching out for him too, and he'd better remember it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are some of the lessons that Harry learned in his first week at Hogwarts:

From Lord Malfoy's letter of congratulations on being chosen for the house of Slytherin:  
Harry was to be commended for his intelligent choice of guardian. His guardian has a 'complex and controversial political history" for which many of the "dim and illiterate masses" would condemn him for simple association, but it would behoove Harry to judge the man on actions not association; and that in doing so, he and his wife judged Professor Snape worthy to be named their son's godfather.

From Lady Malfoy's Letter:  
Lady Malfoy had been in contact with his guardian, whom -as the bachelor she knew him to be- had no decent idea how to provision a child of his age and stature. So she offered her services, both as the mother of his godson and a distant cousin to Harry. Subsequently, she wished to know favorite colors and once she knew them would be sending Harry a scroll of children's fabric samplers for his preferences.

From Draco and Pansy (who snorted at his question):  
Not all fabrics took various shades of color charms and potions well, so you had to pick the color first; and the Wizarding World had access to hundreds of fabrics.

From Professor Snape, when asked if it was alright to let Lady Malfoy pick out clothes for him:  
Yes, though the witch took an 'unholy glee' in shopping and was often a force of nature when someone had attempted to interfere with her whims, the professor had negotiated a spending limit, so doubted the witch would go too ridiculously extravagant.

From the Professor, when he delivered no less than four scrolls of questions directed to him about Harry's 'sartorial' preferences:  
Sartorial meant clothing-related. They both thought some of the questions were ridiculous and had no bearing on clothing, but after an hour of discussing the questions thought they had given enough information to guide the witch in getting Harry a comfortable, practical, and well-charmed wardrobe.

From Draco (after the professor left):  
His mother sometimes did that (that being manufacturing topics or tasks that required discussion when she thought one or another (or both) of the parties might have difficulty initiating conversations), and she used the tactic on his father and himself whenever a disagreement came up between friends.

From Professor Snape in Potions Class:  
While prior experience cooking did offer some advantages to potions students, in "Potions, one does not hold a stirring rod the same way one would grip a stirring spoon". There would be tutoring sessions available on Saturdays from 11:00 to 12:00 for students who had not received primary school potions preparation.

From Professor McGonnagall, who asked him to stay after class:  
Any student wishing to be re-sorted may make the request to any head of house, not solely their own.

From Professor Quirrell, who also asked that he stay after class:  
He had noticed that Harry seemed to be having a considerable headache during lessons. As a Defense Against Dark Art's Master, Professor Quirrell had received 'significant training' in recognizing medical conditions as well as the effects of hexes, curses, spells, and potions. As such, Professor Quirrell wished to cast a 'strong diagnostic scan' on him - with his permission. The scan, as short as it was, felt incredibly painful - so much so that when the professor's gloved hand abruptly covered his mouth it was barely enough to muffle his pained groans. Professor Quirrell found something that he felt required further research, and Harry was not to discuss it with anyone until Professor Quirrell gained further information.

From Professor Sprout, who also asked him to stay after class:  
Professor Snape had asked her to speak with Harry and let him know that she was available to speak with in the event that he felt uncomfortable broaching a topic with the professor whether as his guardian or as his head of house.

From Professor Flitwick, who also asked him to stay after class:  
Professor Flitwick had taught both of Harry's parents during their years at Hogwarts, and Harry's guardian felt that he might be wish to speak with someone who could tell him more about his parents - without bias.

From Prefect Flint:  
The prefect had never seen any student asked to stay after classes that many times without receiving a single detention.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are a few of the lessons that Harry learned by the end of his first month at Hogwarts:

From the Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration (found in the [by Emeric Switch](http://josiegoestothelibraryyay.weebly.com/beginners-guide-to-transfiguration.html)):  
"Even the most elementary transfiguration spell needs complete concentration. A slight mistake may lead to dangerous and occasionally catastrophic results." Harry found this to be particularly true when he was practicing the ‘botonus’, spell and - after Weasley startled him by knocking his textbook off the table just as Harry was about to cast - accidentally almost turned the tip of his left little finger into a button instead of the small blue-black beetle that Professor McGonnagall had distributed to each of them.

From Professor McGonnagall, who took three points off of Slytherin after setting Harry's pinky to rights:  
Harry needed to pay more attention to his surroundings and do what he's been told to do when he's told to do it. Oddly, it seemed this didn't apply to Weasley when she'd told him more than three days in a row to stop putting his textbook on the edge of his desk because it had fallen so many times (usually right before Harry or Draco were about to cast).

From Professor McGonnagall, when she asked him to stay after class for the third week in a row:  
If Harry intended to request a re-sorting, he needed to do so quickly before the boys in his future house got settled in completely as it would be harder to fit in later.

From the History of Magic, ([Author Unknown](http://www.hogwartsishere.com/library/book/39/chapter/6/)):  
Even though "a council of international wizards examined magical history and culminated in the creation of the original Standard Book of Spells, a compilation of the most potent spells of the different cultures, comprising of spells for every action yet done by magic", there were still wizards who worked with Gringott's curse-breakers going into Egypt and other Ancient Countries hoping to discover lost magic, translate it, and find a use for it in the current day.

From Professor Snape, who looked at Harry slightly oddly when he asked what he should do if he wanted to do that when he grew up:  
Careers in Magical and Historical research required extensive schooling after Hogwarts as well as an in-depth and early study of Arithmancy; runes, glyphs, and comparative linguistics; however, if Harry applied himself, the funds that his parents left in trust for his education could easily accommodate such studies.

From the brochures that came the next morning attached to a package of Latin primers and readers that his guardian had apparently ordered for him the previous night:  
Flourish and Blotts maintained an owl-order service, and his guardian had deposited seventy-five galleons on account for him to purchase new readers, workbooks, and primers as he completed the texts he currently possessed. To order the next in the series, Harry only needed to go to the last page of the book and place a check mark in front of the next text he wished to receive.

From Professor Flitwick, after noticing that Vince's wand movements didn't seem to be improving despite hours of practice that everyone in their dorm could attest to:  
While flexibility is a critical quality for every young witch or wizard to develop and frequent practice to build up dexterity, endurance, and reflexes, there is also a need to observe proper forms. Students who practice without observation will tend to struggle more and longer than students who find a mentor to observe them and ensure they are following the proper forms.

From Prefect Flint, after Harry and Vince asked him to observe them practicing charms:  
Both boy's had an 'odd way' of holding their wands that he'd seen before from Quidditch team members after suffering broken fingers. After a taking them to see Madam Pomphrey, who cast a straightening and cushioning spell on each of their wand hands, Flint told them if they practiced with the 'splint' in place it shouldn't be long before Harry and Vince found they could cast charms more easily.

From Professor Quirrell:  
While it had taken Professor Quirrell almost the entirety of his time, while he was out of classes, he did believe he understood what had been causing Harry pain during their classes and wished to try something but would need to take Harry to his private lab deep in Hogwart's core. Remembering previous times that his muggle instructor and other men had wanted to spend time alone with him, Harry's only thought was to say no and get away from the Defense Instructor, but before Harry had the chance to back away, his headache increased horribly almost knocking him off his feet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are a few of the lessons that Harry learned on being taken to the Chamber of Secrets:

From Professor Quirrell, who was sitting in a chair near the table that Harry had been laid on:  
The professor had been right, and something very unexpected had happened the night that Harry's parents had rebelled against the Dark Lord. As a result, Harry would owe the Dark Lord a life debt, for without essence that the Dark Lord had imbued into Harry, the professor believed Harry surely would not have survived his relatives treatment.

From the conversation between Professor Quirrel and the gigantic snake (Aisitha, the professor called her at one point ):  
The Dark Lord believed that the Headmaster and witches and wizards in something called the "Order" would try to harm Harry because of the 'essence' that he carried, and had ordered Professor Quirrell to bring Harry down to the chambers so that Aisitha could 'petrify' him - to ensure his safety.

From the conversation between Professor Quirrel and the gigantic snake:  
Harry could understand what Snakes said when they spoke. The giant snake - while understanding the Dark Lord's 'fears' which Professor Quirell immediately corrected to 'precautions' in a scolding tone - nevertheless refused to petrify Harry. From Harry's scent, she knew that Harry like the Professor's Lord was one of the blood of Her Master Slytherin - and so could not be harmed by her.

From Professor Quirrell, after he calmed down:  
While the professor could not leave Harry safely down in the chamber, without petrifying him, the Dark Lord no longer viewed Harry as an enemy and because of the connection they shared would wish to secure Harry's safety, particularly before he achieved his goal of securing 'the stone'.

From the giant snake, while Professor Quirrell paced muttering to himself back and forth alternating between snake language and English:  
Harry was welcome to visit her chambers whenever he wished whether he needed company or alternately peace from the students above. With a waved grant of permission from Professor Quirrel, the snake lead Harry through the chamber to a library that she said only he or the other heir could read because of their shared language, then to a bedroom that could be made almost as nice as his own, just with a little dusting, and when the snake felt they were far enough away from Professor Quirrell to hear, she informed him that there were other entrances that she had tunneled since the professor had been there as a student - so Harry need not fear being trapped within should the professor decide to do so.

From Professor Quirrell, when he ordered Harry back onto the table, then cast a spell to keep him stuck there:  
It would rouse too many questions if the professor 'escorted' Harry off the school grounds or left him in the chambers (without at least a draught of living death to sustain him so the professor wouldn't have to worry about returning to the chamber on a regular basis and possibly being followed). There was one alternative, however, and seeing that Harry's body already bore a portion of the Dark Lord's essence and magic, his body should be sufficiently healthy to support the remainder, at least long enough for Professor Quirrel to retrieve the stone.

From the giant snake, after she hissed at Harry to turn away and Professor Quirrell abruptly screamed:  
Professor Quirrell had contained the 'polluted spirit' of another heir and had been about to force the 'pollution' on Harry. Her Master Slytherin had known about such acts and would never have forgiven her if she had allowed it to happen to one of his heirs, even if it had been done by another heir. While she would have preferred to petrify the professor, she had to act quickly to trap the pollution in the body as it died from her bite.

During the slow walk through the tunnels back to an entrance near her Master's House:  
The headache that Harry had been suffering whenever he was in the professor's presence and increasingly between class during recent weeks had gone away almost completely. The giant snake smelled the tall 'shadow-wrapped' wizard that always smelled of herbs, candle flames, and oils, and the wizard smelled intensely worried. She would take care of the polluted body, knowing depths in the forest where even the darkest creatures did not travel, and that Harry was to remember he was welcome in the chambers whenever he needed or desired to go.

From Professor Snape, who found him only moments after he stepped from the alcove with the hidden entrance closing behind him.  
It was rather nice to be swept up into a frantic embrace, have his head felt for a temperature, his eyes checked, and the professor's hands cupping his cheeks as the man demanded, "Are you injured?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are a few of the lessons that Harry learned after he told his guardian about the events in the chamber:

From Professor Snape, after he finished re-reading the 'deep-scan' on Harry and sat down - slightly paler than usual:  
His Professor did not entirely understand what Professor Quirrell and the giant snake had referred to, and in interests of time, would like to consult with two other of Harry's professor's but would only do so with Harrys permission, and with the precaution of having the other wizards take a secrecy vow.

From Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, after agreeing to take the vow:  
The professor was astonished at Harry's luck in meeting and speaking with the giant snake, much less having the ability to do so (which he called a rare and tragically misunderstood skill). The descendants of the Slytherin House had been known to possess the 'parsletongue' ability, and he suspected that there were more descendants out in the world who were able to do so, but who chose for various reasons to not advertise their talent. To his knowledge, yes, Basilisks, being one of the few nearly immortal creatures bonded as familiars to family lines more than to individual members beyond the lifetime of their original 'masters'. Unlike common familars, however, basilisks, sphinx, thunderbirds, and thestrils had minds of their own and could choose to ignore the bonding where sufficient justification existed. These justifications included abuse and defense of another.

From Professor Snape, who interrupted Professor Kettleburn's suggestions that Harry continue to study Care of Magical Creatures with an apprenticeship in mind:  
While Harry would certainly be given the opportunity to decide his career path and interests, his guardian's primary concern was whether the creature's senses could be trusted with regard to the 'pollution' affecting the late Professor Quirrell, and whether the creature could be trusted in Harry's presence.

From Professor Kettleburn, who seemed shocked that Professor Snape had so little faith in the 'guardian' of his house:  
Professor Kettleburn believed the giant snake could be trusted on both counts and reminded Severus that snakes were featured strongly on the kaduceus and other medical symbols for their primary trait of being able to detect illnesses, taints, and pollution. So long as Harry did not abuse her nor attack another - without cause, there would be no safer location - in Professor Kettleburn's opinion - for the child than in the basilisk's coils. Moreover because the creature could not have broken his bond to the other heir, otherwise, so it was proof that it had bonded to Harry as a descendant of "Her Master Slytherin" and would, perforce of the bond, do anything in her ability to protect Harry.

From Professor Filius Flitwick, who had also agreed to take the vow:  
With Harry and his guardian's permission, the diminutive charms professor would like to meet the basilisk and ask the creature about it's observations over the centuries. Further, he felt the access to the library that the giant snake had offered Harry was an opportunity that he felt Harry should not be deprived of.

From Professor Kettleburn:  
He too would like to meet the creature and study her, and on Harry's assistance agreed that he would not considering harming her - except in self-defense or defense of another.

From Professor Flitwick, after Professor Kettleburn left:  
He did have suspicions both regarding what the 'pollution' the snake referred to was, why it had affected Harry as it had, and what the essence inside Harry might have been, but that he wished to research the matter further, and possibly scan Harry again at a later date once he had a working theory.

From Professor Snape, after the others left:  
His guardian was pleased that Harry had come out of his ordeal mostly unharmed and that he managed to gain an 'impressive' familiar in the process; however, his guardian still wished to meet the creature and make his own appraisal before he would give Harry permission to go down to the chambers again, much less alone. Additionally, Harry was not - in any circumstances - to go down to the chamber without his guardian's foreknowledge, and further would not do so before Severus could make and test an emergency port key to ensure that Harry could escape the chamber at any time he should need to do so.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are a few of the lessons that Harry learned in the weeks that followed Harry being taken down to the Chamber of Secrets:

From the _Young Wizard’s Guide to Classical Languages: Latin Primers, Volume 1_

     While Muggle communities in Greater Britain used a derivative form of Classical Latin in official documents written in between 1086 and 1733, this form is quite different and distinct from the Classical Latin used continuously in Western European Wizarding communities from its induction during the intermittent colonization campaigns of the early Roman Empire. This continuity has fostered trade throughout European Wizarding communities by making the establishment of binding magical contracts possible between nations and business concern based on universal understanding of each contractee’s intent, consideration, and the penalties for failure to fulfill. 
    The continuity of Classical Latin in conjunction with the unification of the age of majority in Western European communities and the invention of blood quills allowed for the legalization of select assignment of contractual authority to familial heads for the purposes of joining contracts that assign contractual responsibilities throughout the family line and down additional generations.
    Until the fourth session of the 1833 Wizengamot, Magical Guardians had the legal and magical authorization to sign contracts on behalf of their wards, providing the child demonstrated sufficient fluency of Classical Latin to understand the contractual obligations - in full - and attest to the fact in a hand written statement penned to the final version of the contract - prior to the formal signature of the guardian and other contracting party. This authorization was stricken during the 1833 fourth session, after an opposing contracting party demonstrated that the ward in that case while having the capacity to pen the required clause did not have the cognitive capacity to understand the obligations he had been assigned to under the contract. From that point on, while Magical Guardians could negotiate the details of binding magical contract requiring participation and obligations assigned to the ward, neither the guardians nor any other party - outside of the the Family head (or Lord depending on the families peerage) could sign on behalf of the ward, nor could the ward sign such an agreement or otherwise form a binding magical contract until a year past the age of majority. 

From Professor Snape after his first trip down to the Chamber of Secrets:

    While his guardian believed - after a long conversation translated both ways by Harry - that the basilisk was sufficiently bonded to the Slytherin family line, even generations diluted, to share a familiar-bond with Harry, his guardian would still not permit Harry to go down to the chambers by himself until - 

    the sanitary conditions of the rooms had been restored,
    the basilisk had sufficient ‘personal space’ that had been long blocked by debris that had fallen in the unmaintained tunnels in which to shed its detritus and waste,
     and that even once these were secured, Harry would only be permitted to go to the chambers - except in emergency - by prearrangement with both his guardian’s and familiar’s prior agreement. 
    Further, while his guardian appreciated the opportunity to explore the vast library of texts that he had been guided to by the basilisk, Harry was to allow his guardian to preview any text he wished to read before he would be permitted to read them - to insure that he would no delve into materials that were not appropriate to his age.

From Headmaster Dumbledore who stopped Harry on the way to the infirmary after lunch and insisted that Harry join him in his office, even though the prefect protested that Harry was expected in the infirmary to receive necessary potions:

    The Headmaster wished to speak to him after one of his instructors had reported concerns that Harry was not ‘taking advantage’ of opportunities to ‘better his position at Hogwarts’
    The headmaster believed that Harry should take the opportunity when it was next offered to him
    If Harry did take advantage of the opportunity to change houses, the Headmaster was sure that Harry would find Minerva much less stringent on things like study groups, taking potions that he was sure Harry must not enjoy the taste of, and even having the odd adventure.

From his guardian, when Professor Snape stormed into the Headmaster’s office - to the Headmaster’s visible chagrin:

    Headmaster Dumbledore ‘had been warned’ about speaking to Harry without him present.
    Even without ‘the vow’ he had once made to protect Harry, having been selected as Harry’s guardian, Severus was ‘bound by honor’ to insure Harry’s best interests were met - and those patently did not include the Headmaster’s machinations.

From Madam Pomfrey:

    ”Henceforth” (which Prefect Flint explained to mean “from today, until you are told otherwise”), Harry and the Prefect would travel directly by floo to the infirmary, before meals, to ensure that the nutrition potions, which were given at a specific timing prior to eating for a reason, would have the proper efficacy to both soothe Harry’s stomach and enable him to properly digest the food he receives. 

From the Bloody Baron, who floated through the dorms after curfew, to find Harry awake from a nightmare:

    ”It behooves one to wrest the control of their emotions from their subconscious. Unbridled emotions lead to tragedy and foster nightmares that can not be escaped even in death.” Harry looked up the word ‘behooves’ and decided it meant a very and formal way of saying ‘benefits’ someone. At least when he used it to replace the word, it still made sense.
    That his guardian was proficient in the techniques of mastering one’s mind and would ‘most certainly’ agree if Harry asked for his assistance.
    That “Curfew was curfew and to be adhered to for the betterment of one’s mind and magic… even for misplaced Ravenclaws.”

From Prefect Flint, at breakfast the following morning.

    Harry was not a “misplaced Ravenclaw” but Harry should be proud of the amount of studying he'd done and the wit he'd shown for the ancient ghost -who'd haunted the school for centuries- to think so. 
    There was nothing wrong with feeling proud of yourself when you impressed someone with so much experience. ‘Being prideful’ was an entirely different thing and less proper but not as bad as not showing the proper pride in family and self-respect. 
    ”If you don't respect yourself, no one eye is likely to either.” 

From his guardian, once Professor Snape began speaking again after being introduced to Aisitha (who had hissed in amusement that ‘she did have that effect on people’ when she scented Harry's concern for the speechless Professor):

    Professor Snape had uttered a vast understatement when he had given her the generic description of impressive.
    For the sake of their nerves, Professor Snape would be bringing a ‘good supply of calming draught when they brought the Care for Magical Creatures instructor down to meet her.
    After conversing with the basilisk and securing a small sample of her venom that the professor added to a ‘universal’ neutralizing potion developed by a guild of Australian wizards (who worked on a reserve in the outback with the only other known surviving ‘colony’’of basilisk -11 strong), his guardian believed visiting the basilisk would be a ‘reasonably safe’ activity.
    As long as he secured Professor Snape's approval in advance, carried the potion and portkey on him at all times, kept his grades and study habits up, and use the entrance through the Slytherin Head of House’s private office, then Harry could visit Aisitha as he liked. 
    Having the Potions Master’s offices closer to his classroom and a private office in his quarters, his guardian had opened the Head of House’s office to the students as a quiet-study area, so Harry should be able to access them with ease. 

From Professor Flitwick, who asked Harry to stay after:

    ”Mr. Weasley had been wrong and cruel to claim that Harry had betrayed his parents by choosing a ‘slimy Slytherin’ to replace them as he would be certain to explain to Mr. Weasley during the following week of detentions.
    Professor Flitwick “greatly respected” his guardian and firmly believed that Professor Snape would dedicate himself to ensuring Harry’s welfare.

From Prefect Flint, who’d noticed Harry stop eating and stare off into space:

    Flint couldn’t be certain, not knowing absolutely for sure what Harry was feeling, but he thought it sounded like contentment.

From Draco Malfoy, who had been looking at Harry oddly after Prefect Flint explained this:

    There’s nothing wrong with Harry feeling contentment.
    But… maybe, there was something a little wrong that Harry didn’t recognize the feeling.

From his guardian, who reminded Harry that he was permitted to call him Severus outside of classes.

    Draco was correct if incomplete in his assessment: Harry wasn’t wrong in feeling or expressing any measure of emotion he was feeling, so long as the expression was in a healthy measure and manner; however, Harry’s previous ‘care-givers’ and guardian, “If they could be called such” were wrong in denying Harry the experiences and resources needed to foster positive emotions.
    Prefect Flint was correct as well. Professor Snape was - in fact- ‘quite pleased’ with both Harry’s progress in class and in his study habits; and while not misplaced, agreed with the Baron that Harry could have also done well in Ravenclaw. 

From Severus during their meeting the following Saturday:

    Chess was a very practical game in both stimulating the mind and fostering meditation practices
  
    Each of the chess pieces followed different movement patterns that added complexity to the game.
  
    ”While the queen was believed to be the most powerful chess piece on the board, pawns could take the queen and must be respected.” 
  
    The best chess masters attempt to observe and consider the potential of every piece in every circumstance before sitting at the board. 


End file.
